The U.S. increased military spending last year for the first time since 2010, joining a worldwide boost in defense outlays to a 31-year high, Stars and Stripes reported Monday.
U.S. defense spending in 2018 rose 4.6% to reach $649 billion, adding to $1.8 trillion in worldwide military spending, according to a new Stockholm International Peace Research Institute report.
The U.S. was the biggest in defense funding, spending an amount nearly equal to the next eight largest defense budgets combined, the SIPRI report detailed.
“The increase in U.S. spending was driven by the implementation from 2017 of new arms procurement programs under the Trump administration,” said Aude Fleurant, SIPRI’s military expenditure program director.
The worldwide increase in military spending is the highest since 1988 when the Cold War began drawing down.
President Donald Trump has committed to strong national defense spending despite reducing U.S. troops numbers in overseas conflict zones. His defense spending request to Congress this year is the largest ever in dollar terms before adjustment for inflation.
Photo provided by DOD